Coleman Hawkins single-handedly brought the saxophone to prominence in jazz music and for this is known as the “Father of the Tenor Sax.” (3) Hawkins was so associated with the saxophone that it was said that he invented it, even though that invention is created to Adolph Sax. Prior to Hawkins’ use of the saxophone, jazz groups had little use for the instrument. Coleman was born on November 21, 1904 to Will and Cordelia Hawkins in Saint Joseph, Missouri. His parents both loved music, especially his mother, who was a pianist and organist. (6) Hawkins began taking piano lessons from his mother when he was 5-years old. He switched to the cello at age seven and two years later began playing the tenor saxophone. (1) Hawkins sought to develop his own sound with the saxophone, even though at the time it was considered more of a novelty instrument and used mainly in vaudeville acts. He turned professional at age twelve when he began playing in a Kansas City Theatre pit band. It was there that blues singer, Mamie Smith, heard him play and hired him to play with her band, the Jazz Hounds. (4) Hawkins played with Smith’s band for two years, made some records in a background role and freelanced around New York for another
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two years. In August of 1923, he made his first recordings with Fletcher Henderson . Finally, at age twenty, Hawkins emerged as a star tenor saxophonist in Henderson’s permanent orchestra. Hawkins was known as the top tenor in jazz in 1924, although his hard-toned style lacked some polish. Hawk, as he became known,learned this needed polish from Louis Armstrong, who joined Henderson’s orchestra in 1924. (5) Thanks to Armstrong, Hawkins quickly advanced and by 1925 was a truly major soloist. Hawkins’ mature style emerged in 1929, and he has been credited with inventing the jazz ballad. He stayed with the Fletcher Henderson orchestra until 1934 when he left and headed for Europe. Hawkins spent five years overseas playing with theJack Hylton Orchestra in England and freelancing around the continent. (3) With World War II looming in Europe, Hawkins wisely returned to the United States in 1939. Hawkins recorded his commercial and artistic masterpiece, Body and Soul, the same year and re-established himself as one of the pre-eminent soloists in the country. (5) This song features one of the greatest saxophone solos ever composed and is the standard by which all other jazz ballads are measured. (2) Although, he did establish his own big band, it was only for a short period of time and he eventually went back to the New York
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clubs and small group surroundings. Hawkins was a life-long learner of classical music, and as a result, his knowledge of music theory was far ahead of his peers. (1) Whereas Louis Armstrong improvised his solos based on the melody, Hawk based his on the harmony and had a strong sense of rhythm. Hawkins was known for winning many heated jam sessions. (4) Later in his life, a young tenor sax player commented to a fellow tenor player that playing next to Coleman Hawkins frightened him. The other player responded with, “Coleman Hawkins is supposed to frighten you!” Sadly, toward the end of his life, he began to neglect his health and drank heavily. He died of pneumonia on May 19, 1969 and is buried in the Bronx.
Hawkins began taking piano lessons from his mother when he was 5-years old. He switched to the cello at age seven and two years later began playing the tenor saxophone. (1) Hawkins sought to develop his own sound with the saxophone, even though at the time it was considered more of a novelty instrument and used mainly in vaudeville acts. He turned professional at age twelve when he began playing in a Kansas City Theatre pit band. It was there that blues singer, Mamie Smith, heard him play and hired him to play with her band, the Jazz Hounds. (4) Hawkins played with Smith’s band for two years, made some records in a background role and freelanced around New York for another
Hawkins was known as the top tenor in jazz in 1924, although his hard-toned style lacked some polish. Hawk, as he became known, learned this needed polish from Louis Armstrong, who joined Henderson’s orchestra in 1924. (5) Thanks to Armstrong, Hawkins quickly advanced and by 1925 was a truly major soloist. Hawkins’ mature style emerged in 1929, and he has been credited with inventing the jazz ballad. He stayed with the Fletcher Henderson orchestra until 1934 when he left and headed for Europe. Hawkins spent five years overseas playing with the Jack Hylton Orchestra in England and freelancing around the continent. (3) With World War II looming in Europe, Hawkins wisely returned to the United States in 1939.
Hawkins recorded his commercial and artistic masterpiece, Body and Soul, the same year and re-established himself as one of the pre-eminent soloists in the country. (5) This song features one of the greatest saxophone solos ever composed and is the standard by which all other jazz ballads are measured. (2) Although, he did establish his own big band, it was only for a short period of time and he eventually went back to the New York
Hawkins was a life-long learner of classical music, and as a result, his knowledge of music theory was far ahead of his peers. (1) Whereas Louis Armstrong improvised his solos based on the melody, Hawk based his on the harmony and had a strong sense of rhythm. Hawkins was known for winning many heated jam sessions. (4) Later in his life, a young tenor sax player commented to a fellow tenor player that playing next to Coleman Hawkins frightened him. The other player responded with, “Coleman Hawkins is supposed to frighten you!”
Sadly, toward the end of his life, he began to neglect his health and drank heavily. He died of pneumonia on May 19, 1969 and is buried in the Bronx.
Works Consulted
1. Cable, Mike. Killing Floor Blues. 7 Mar. 2008 <http://killingfloorblues.blogspot.com/2006/06/ibizas-music.html >.
2. "Coleman "Hawk" Hawkins (1904 - 1969)." Red Hott Jazz. 7 Mar. 2008 <http://www.redhotjazz.com/hawkins.html >.
3. De Boer, Henk. "Coleman Hawkins." All About Jazz. 20 Apr. 2003. 7 Mar. 2008 <http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=305 >.
4. Judden, Air. "Coleman Hawkins." 29 Jan. 2001. 7 Mar. 2008 <http://airjudden.tripod.com/jazz/colemanhawkins.html >.
5. Lewis, Ramsey. "Coleman Hawkins." Legends of Jazz. 7 Mar. 2008 http://www.legendsofjazz.net/classroom/bios?id=0098 .
6. Ross, Larry. "Jazz Musicians." 7 Mar. 2008 http://drlarryross.bizland.com/Musicians.htm .
7. Van Gelder, Rudy. "Coleman Hawkins." Concord Music Group. 7 Mar. 2008 <http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/PRCD-30081-2/ >.